Process of making an iron-nickel-copper alloy.



- To all whom it may concern:

GUILLIAM H. GLAMER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PROCESS OF MAKING AN IRON-NICKE-L-COPPER ALLOY.

No Drawing.

. certain new and useful Process of Making an Iron-Nicke'l-Copper Alloy, 'of which the following is a specification.

In my application for Letters Patent of the United States, serially numbered 513,537,- I have described and claimed what I call a high range nickel-copper-iron alloy, and which can be. made within the following range of proportions by weight: nickel to 50, copper 5 to 20, iron to 70, together with a small amount of impurities such as would ordinarily exist in commercial steel,

copper and nickel. v-

my application serially numbered 513,538, filed August 19th, 1909, I have described a process for producing iron-coppernickel alloys direct from ore containin nickel and copper and iron in the form '0 sulfids, and in that application have referred to the high range alloy. In my aplication serially numbered 573,095 filed uly 21st 1910, I have described and claimed what I call low range alloys of copper, iron and nickel, which contain iron, nickel up to I 6 per cent, and copper up to two per cent., from, for example, a half of 1 per cent.

The .present invention has to do with the use of Monel metal in the production of alloys of both the high and low ranges, and alsowi'th the production ofthe low range alloy direct from ore containing nickel and copper and iron in the form of sulfids, and the object of the'present inven 1011 is to rovide an expeditious and economical met od of producing alloys of both the high and low ranges. Y

It may be stated'that-steels between 'the ranges given are hard and brittle and of no commercial value, and are of Martensitic structure, whereas those of high range have a crystalline structure and those of low range-a pearlitic structure. Since co per is cheaper than nickel, it is evident t atan economy is effected by replacing nickel with.

copper, and this can beacc'omplished with- Specificatioh of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

Application filed July 2 1, 191 0. Serial N 0. 578,094. I

out diminishing the desirable properties of the metal, and in fact, with some increase of those desirable properties. To make the 7 form a slag with the gan'gue, and the production at the same time of an iron-coppernickel matte. This matte may be of varying composition. This matte is then calcined to remove sulfur and convert the nickel, copper and iron into oxids. These oxids are reduced with carbon or other suitable reducing agent, whereby there is produced a homogeneous alloy of the three metals in substantially relative proportionsin which they exist in the matte before calcining. In the reducing operation if carbon and impurities are introduced in excessive amounts they may be removed to the extent desired by any of the well-known oxidizing processes used in steel making. The addition of any of the c copper in the proportions set forth, use may be made of Monel metal. Monel metal is an alloy of approximately 68 per cent. nickel,

2 per cent. iron and 30 per cent. copper, and

in accordance with my invention is added to iron in the proper proportions, and when Monel metal is used the double melting is advantageous, because it improves the uniformity of. the product. Monel metal, as is well known, can be made directly from ore containing nickel, copper and iron in -the.:

form of sulfids by first melting the ore with fluxes to form a slag with the gangue, and produce an iron-copper-nickel matte, then be's'semerizing this matte to remove as much iron as possible, which is all except about 2 percent, and then calcining the-matte to.

remove sulfur and convert the nickel, copper and ironifito oxids which are reduced with carbon or other suitable reducing agents What I claim is:

The method of making an iron-nickel-copper alloy which consists in making an ironcopper-nickel matte from sulfid ore containing iron, copper and nickel, calcining the matte to convert the sulfid of iron, nickel and copper into oxids, reducing the oxids thereby making an alloy of the metals named con- GUILLI AM H. OLAMER.

Witnesses:

S. E. PATTERSON, K. M. GILLIGAN. 

